By Mark Squibb | Aug. 20, 2020
A staple of the Goulds, the Hayloft Lounge, has received a fresh new look — and second bar — that’s turning heads in the community.
The building has a rather storied history. Tony Barton opened the Hayloft Lounge in 1974 (the local legend is that 12-gauge shotgun was handed out as a door prize). During the billiard boom it served a brief stint as the Billiard Barn before reverting back to its old name. And before opening to the public, it was also the Barton home.
The Kiely brothers, Ian and Jed, bought the building some years back. The brothers themselves have a long Goulds history.
Both brothers have worked farms baling hay, back when hay was baled into square bales, not the large marshmallow shapes you see today.
“When it was baling time, everybody around the community, I remember Jed and I and our dad and everyone down by Forest Pond and that area, getting together and helping the farmers bale the hay and loading it up on the flatbeds and then we would get up on the flatbeds as kids and ride down the Goulds Main Road. It was really a part of growing up for me that I would like my kids to experience,” said Ian.
“We have a lot of memories baling the hay and all that. And now that we have small kids, it’s an opportunity for them,” agreed brother Jed.
The brothers say that they have a love for Gould’s farming roots, and want the Hayloft and new Farmhouse bar to reflect that heritage.
“The Farmhouse came from the Goulds being a farming community,” explained Ian. “The roots of the Goulds is in farming. The farmers have been here a long time. Different places, like Petty Harbour, are known for fishing. Goulds is know as being a farming community.”
He said that many people might be a little embarrassed by the farming reputation — especially that unmistakable summertime farm odor — but that they cherish the Goulds’ heritage.
“We want to embrace it. It kind of separates us from everyone one. That’s what we’re all about,” said Ian.
The brothers held a photo contest, asking residents to submit their favorite Goulds farming photos (some of which will adorn the walls) and have designed the building around the farming motif, with decorative hay bales and an unmistakable cow decal alongside the building.
That Cow, reminding folks to ‘support local,’ has caused a bit of debate in the community.
“Some people love it — some people hated it,” laughed Ian. “We did get some negative comments, people saying, ‘Why are you covering up all your nice new siding with this cow.”
However, Ian said, it’s the message the cow proclaims that matters most.
“In this era of COVID, it’s important for people to support local and to support local businesses. They’ve been hit the hardest. So, if we were going to do a billboard, I think the message should be, for now, ‘Support local,’” he explained.
And, for those who don’t like it, he said it probably won’t be there forever.
“It’s basically a billboard that we can change around periodically. It’s not something that’s stationary and going to be there for the life of the building. It got people talking,” he concluded.
The brothers were able to capitalize on the downturn brought about by COVID-19 to complete much of the work, which includes the new Farmhouse bar, new siding and windows, parking lot renos, and a front area overhang.
They closed to the public in March 16, and reopened the 25th of June.
“We were closed and we said, ‘What are we going to do, we’re not just going to sit still,’ and we always wanted to do the renovations, but we were afraid that it would interfere with the customers coming back and forth, so we said that this is probably the best time to get this renovation done,” said Ian. “We’re closed, it won’t interfere with customers coming back and forth. And it reduces the downtime. When you’re open you have to put away all your tools and make sure the place is clean for when customers come back. So, it saves us that hour or two everyday having to clean up.”
The lounge is currently operating at fifty percent capacity, or 30 people, and the brothers are holding off on booking parties, in light of the pandemic.
They hope to have the rest of the interior work, including bathroom renovations, done by the fall.
“A lot of people respect that we’re honouring the farmers of the Goulds and getting back to the roots of the Goulds,” said Ian.
